Box-fastener



' S. D. FORD & F. M. SPENCER.

. BOX FASTENER.

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WITNESSES @?\C W @NIIEE rates new FFIQE.

SAMUEL D. FORD AND FRANCIS M. SPENCER, OF SOUTH ABINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOX-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,778, dated March 11, 1884.

Application filed October 23, 1883.

To-aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL D. FORD and FRANCIS M. SPENCER, citizens of the United States, residing at South Abington, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Box-Fastener, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to box-fasteners; and it has for its object to provide a simple and efficient fastening for boxes and crates which have to be frequently opened and closed, and which are subject to rough handling, such as shipping boxes and crates of all kinds.

The invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafterfully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

Inthe drawingshereto annexed, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a box equipped with our improved fastening. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing the lid of the box open.

The same letters refer to the same parts.

A in the drawings designates a suitablyconstructed box or crate having a hinged lid, 13. I

G is a metallic block or leaf, secured to the under side of the lid B, near the front edge of the same, and having at its front end a recess, D, between the sides or wings of which, E E, is hinged the latch F, by means of-a transverse pin'or bolt, G. The latch consists of the body H, having downwardly-projecting hooked catch I, and a forwardly-extending leaf or finger piece, J, the outer extremity of which is flush with the front edge of the lid. The latter'is provided with a triangular or wedge-shaped recess, K, to enable the finger-piece to be pressed upwardly in the actof openingthe box, as will bepresently de scribed.

L designates a' small fiat spring, interposed between the leaf 0 andthe lid 13, and extending forwardly over the finger-piece J, which is thereby forced downward. The ob; ject of this is to prevent the fastening from coming open in case the box to which it is ap: plied should be tiltedupside down. When (No model.

the box stands upright, the weight of the 1111- 5 ger-piece and catch will be sufficient to keep it closed. The spring may be at will dispensed with.

M designates a bail secured to the inside of the front of the box, directly under the catch I, as shown. The inside of the box-front may be recessed, as at N, so as to accommodate the catch in the act of opening. The upper side of the bail M is beveled at 0, so that it will readily engage the catch I, the hooked part of which is likewise beveled, as at I From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of our invention will be readily understood. Then the lid of the box is closed,the catch I engages the bail M and holds the cover securely.

It will be observed that when the box is closed no part of the fastening is left projecting beyond the sides of the same, and thus rendered liable to be broken off or injured in transit.

To open the box, it is only necessary to press the finger-piece in an upward direction,which may be easily done, as the said finger-piece extends flush with the front edge of the lid, and is therefore easily accessible. This disengages the catch I from bail M and allows the lid to be raised. This fastening, it will be seen, is not intended as a lock, and requires no keys or instruments for opening. Atthe same time it forms a useful and secure fastening, which is durable, and may be supplied at a small expense.

To guard against the surreptitious opening of boxes equipped with our improved fastening, any suitable seal may be employed.

We claim as our invention anddesire to se cure by Letters Patent of the United States-.-

The combination of a box having a recess in the inside of its front, a bail secured horizontally over the said recess and having beveled upper edge, a cover hinged to the said box and having a wedge-shaped or triangular recess in its under side at its front edge, 5

registering with the recess in the front of the box, a leaf secured to the under side of the cover and having a recess at its front end, and a latch pivoted in the said recess our own we havehereto affixed our signatures and comprising EL body, a downwardly eX- 1n presence of two witnesses.

tending hooked catch, and a forwardly-proq SAMUEL D. FORD. jecting finger-piece registering with the tri- FRANCIS M. SPENCER. 5 angular recess in the cover and extending flush 'Witnesses:

with the front edge of the latter, as set forth. JAMES C. V0013,

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as 5 WILSON E. PRATT. 

